Only Ones Who Know

mizuki_chan, i know that was an interpretation but i would have to disagree that it is about someone getting their gf/bf taken away. i think the "heart he was stealing" just means that her heart no longer belongs to herself; now that she's in love with him, it belongs to him. this is a song about two people wound-up in love, a type of love that is hard to find these days. it gives alex that sort of hope, and he wants to believe that it will last.

in the bit where he goes, "i bet you would have made it that bit better on your own" he means that it doesnt matter where he tells them to go, it will be great no matter what because they are in love.

all in all, one of the most hauntingly beautiful songs i've ever heard. makes me cry.

Ok, well first off, this is my favorite Arctic Monkeys song. Everything - the lyrics, Alex's voice, the instrumentals - is so incredibly beautiful,

Anyway, my interpretation: In summary: A woman goes away from home because she's restless/discontent with her boyfriend/fiance/husband etc.. She meets our main character, the young man who also went on vacation just to get away from stuff at home. The 2 have an affair which at first is just a bonus for the guy but he quickly falls in love with her. However, he sees that she's not in love with him but actually really loves the guy back at home but she doesn't realize it/want to accept it, and that she's probably been having flings with a bunch of guys (& not calling them back) and that he's just one of these guys. He loves her a lot though so hopes she figures out that she loves this guy back at home by New Year's Eve b/c once she does she'll be happy. And the whole "only one's who know" thing refers to how the young man realizes that the whole ordeal b/w the woman & this guy back at home really has nothing to do with the young man and that he's kind of just a blip in the middle of them figuring out their relationship.

Breakdown:

"In a foreign place the saving grace was the feeling That it was a heart that he was stealing" This young man has gone away to a foreign country, but he had not been enjoying himself until he met a woman also away from home (who has a boyfriend, fiance, husband, or someone back at home).

"Oh, he was ready to impress and the fierce excitement" He's getting a thrill out of wooing her that probably has a lot to do with the fact that he's the one she's cheating with.

"The eyes are bright; he couldn't wait to get away I bet the Juliet was just the icing on the cake Make no mistake, no" This just explains how the young man had just really wanted to get away from home in the first place, he hadn't planned to have this affair. The name Juliet is used to emphasize that their fling is forbidden as Romeo and Juliet's was.

"And even if somehow you could have shown you the place you wanted" The woman originally went away from home, looking for something. Judging by the rest of the song, she probably is unsure of her relationship with her boyfriend/husband whoever back at home and she's trying to reevaluate who she is and see whether there's someone else out there for her. But she's found that she's not falling in love with the guy she's with on vacation now, even though he wishes she was because he's fallen in love with her.

"Well, I'm sure you could have made it that bit better on your own" She would've been better off without having met/had an affair with him

"And I bet she told a million people that she'd stay in touch Well, all the little promises - they don't mean much" The girl probably has been with many guys on this vacation (because she's restless at home) but each time realized she's still unhappy so made empty promises to each guy that she'd call them but of course she never would.

"When there's memories to be made And I hope you're holding hands by New Years Eve" Despite the young man being in love with the woman, he realizes that she really is in love with the guy back at home (even if she herself doesn't realize it) and hopes that she can figure it out by New Year's Eve.

"They made it far too easy to believe That true romance can't be achieved these days" These lines are so sad because they refer to both: The young man hoping that she goes back to this guy at home because it's what will make her happy in the end and they can ultimately have this "true romance" that's supposedly impossible But it also takes a stab at how he's now in love with this woman who he's destined never to achieve a "true romance" with.

"And even if somehow you could have shown you the place you wanted Well, I sure you could have made it that bit better on your own" He's thinking: "If I could've somehow made her fall in love with me..." then realizes no, they were never meant to be together.

"You are the only ones who know " I think this has to do with the woman and the guy she has back at home and how something is going on b/w them that the young man isn't a part of. He realizes he's just some guy she met one randomly on vacation that is just a blip in the woman figuring out her relationship with this other man.

i heard this song was about alex turner being out on the town and a a girl and boy holding hands came up to him and asked "where's good to go tonight?" and he wrote this song around them because he thought they looked really good together and proper in love..

And I hope you're holding hands by New Year's Eve They made it far too easy to believe That true romance can't be achieved these days

I love this song. It's so beautiful and it's probably my favorite on the album.

That is, I'm jealous of the fact that Alex is so young and yet seems to know so much about people and can convey it beautifully.

I don't think it's a sad song. I think Alex isn't even part of the story here. It's about a couple who fell in love just recently, maybe on holidays("In a foreign place the saving grace was the feeling") and they believe that they will be together forever(that's why they are the only ones who know). The narrator keeps his fingers crossed for them and hopes that they'll stay together("And I hope you're holding hands by New Years Eve"), even though other people are more realistic and think that it's only a temporary fling("They made it far too easy to believe, that true romance can't be achieved these days"). As most of the young couples, they're living in their own world, just two of them, they don't need any other people("And I bet she told a million people that she'd stay in touch. Well, all the little promises - they don't mean much, when there's memories to be made"). Also their every memory and every place they visit seems better, when they're there together("And even if somehow we could have shown you the place you wanted, well, I'm sure you could have made it that bit better on your own").

The website for that interview was: www.liverpool.com/editor-s-pick/interview:-arctic-monkeys.html

gorgeous song this :-)

I feel like the song is about how people doubt love even exists(a myth) and when he meets a couple who looks like they've got it you're still not really sure, only they know. It's so charming... I think that's what everyone thinks about sometimes well I do... Does it really exist? "They made it far too easy to believe That true romance can't be achieved these days" That's my favorite line 'cause its so true... I think this and 505 are great songs and sort of a step up for them

the acoustic version of this song is so good. almost magical.